War. War never changes. The Romans waged war to gather slaves and wealth.  Spain built an empire from its lust for gold and territory. Hitler shaped a battered Germany into an economic superpower. But war never changes. In the 21st century, war was still waged over the resources that could be acquired.

Only this time, the spoils of war were also its weapons. Petroleum and Uranium. For these resources, China would invade Alaska, the US would annex Canada and the European commonwealth would dissolve into quarreling, bickering nation-states bent on controlling the last remaining resources on Earth.

In 2077, the storm of world war had come again. In two brief hours most the of planet was reduced to cinders. From the ashes of nuclear devastation, a new civilization would struggle to arise. A few were able to reach the relative safety of the large underground vaults.

One woman's family was part of the group that reached Vault 13. Imprisoned safely behind the large vault door, under a mountain of stone, a generation has lived without knowledge of the outside world. Life in the vault is about to change.

Natalia stepped out of the small shower booth and grabbed a towel, drying herself off while humming a tune to herself. She hung it back up and walked out into the rest of her room. It was small, but it was sufficient, with a bed, bathroom, lockers to store her clothes, and most importantly it was
clean. Opening the locker, she removed a deep blue jumpsuit with yellow highlights, and the number 13 on the back in yellow. Stepping into it, she zipped it up and sighed. This was about as exciting as the Vault got, she thought to herself as she stepped outside of her room. However, before she got to her daily training routine, the loudspeaker crackled to life.

"Natalia Dubrovhsky, please report to the command post."
Natalia blinked. She wasted no time in dashing as fast as she could down the hall and stepping into the elevator, mumbling under her breath for it to hurry up. As soon as the doors were half open she bolted out between them into the command post. She reached the Overseer, him sitting in his control panel from which he negotiated the affair of the vault. He lowered it to ground level and spoke to her, his elderly face showing concern. From what she knew already there was some kind of mission, and she had been chosen for her skill.

Her cleared his throat and spoke.
"Ah, you're here. Good. We've got a problem, a big one. The controller chip for our water purification system has given up the ghost! We can't make another one, the process is too complicated for our workaround system." That was a bad thing. If the Computerized Workaround System couldn't make something, no human had a chance in hell with it.

The Overseer continued.
"Simply put, we're running out of drinking water. No water, no vault. This is crucial to our survival. And frankly, I think we're the only hope we have. You need to go find us another controller chip. We estimate we have another four or five months until we run out of water. We need that chip! We've marked your map with the location of another vault. Not a bad place to start, I think. Look, just be safe, ok?"

Natalia nodded. She was ready to burst inside. This was what she had been waiting all her life for. A chance to go outside the vault! She eagerly picked up her stuff. Into her pack went a knife, two flares, a couple of advanced healing drugs known as Stimpaks, some lockpicks, and most importantly, a Colt 6520 10mm pistol. Finishing by packing in a good supply of both armor piercing and hollowpoint ammo, she slung the pack over her shoulder and walked down the hallways.

At the elevator was her good friend Albert, a sly man. He had a rugged handsomeness about him, and indeed had a way with words.
"What's with all the gear?" He asked, giving her pack a slight nudge.
Natalia smiled.
"I've been chosen to go out and find us another water purifier chip," she said. Albert clapped her on the back.
"Congratulations. Knowing you, this is good." He smiled, showing his pearly whites. "It's a good thing.....I thought I'd get kicked out."
Natalia smirked. "After that thing with the Overseer's daughter? I wouldn't be surprised in the least if your ass wasn't walking down that hallway."
Albert laughed, but looked at her solemnly. "Natalia.......take care of yourself. The water chip is important, but I want you to come back here in one piece."
Natalia's expression softened and she smiled warmly. "Thanks Albert......hey, don't worry too much. It's me you're talking about!"
Albert smirked. "You're right. Well, you better be goin....hey, take this as good luck." He tossed her a butane Zippo lighter, with a lovely chrome finish. Natalia looked from it to him. "it's brought me good luck. Take it with you."
Natalia smiled, tucking it away in a pocket of her pack. "Thanks, Albert."
She kissed him on the cheek, then walked past him down the corridor.

The final doorway, labeled "13" in red, slid open with a hiss. Natalia uttered a small prayer, and stepped through. The doorway slid shut, and depressurization and decontamination began, unseen to the human eye. Then shortly after, red lights flashed, and a small klaxon sounded. Natalia looked
to the giant gear-like plug in front of her, as it slid back, then was rolled to the side by a mechanical arm. Beyond it was a deep, dark, subterranean cave. She stepped through, feeling the cool, damp air of the cave, then turned around and watched the door shut behind her.
"And so it begins...." Natalia said, loading the pistol with hollowpoints.
"Or some crap like that."

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